Human Relations and Hospital Care

Abstract

Patienthood in the Mental Hospital: An Analysis of Role, Personality, and Social Structure. By Daniel J. Levinson and Eugene B. Gallagher. 265 pp. $5.95. Houghton Mifflin Co., 2 Park St, Boston, 1964 Although an overwhelming amount has been written about patients, in or out of hospitals, only recently has anyone thought to investigate the patient's attitude toward the hospital. If feelings affect the course of an illness, the patient's reaction to the hospital is significant for his health. Recently two studies have been directed toward the investigation of this problem. Cartwright, a sociologist, conducted a survey in which over 700 patients recently discharged from hospitals in England and Wales were interviewed. In Human Relations and Hospital Care , she presents her findings. On the whole, patients seemed reasonably satisfied, but there were many complaints, especially about delays in admission, lack of privacy, and difficulty in obtaining information about their illness and